Space Shuttle Status Report 10 September 2000 (10:15 p.m.EDT)
NOTE: Visit http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm on the
KSC Home Page for the latest schedule of future Shuttle missions.
24-hour Launch Scrub Status
MISSION: STS-92 – 5th ISS Flight (3A) – Z-1 Truss, PMA-3
LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A
KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: Oct. 11, 2000 at about 7:17 p.m. EDT
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Oct. 22, 2000 at about 2:10 p.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: No more than 5 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
CREW: Duffy, Melroy, Wakata, Chiao, Wisoff, Lopez-Alegria, McArthur
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 177 nautical miles/51.6 degrees
Shuttle Processing: The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery was postponed
today during the T-20 minute built-in hold. The 24-hour launch delay allows
workers time to remove a 4-inch metal locking pin discovered on a strut
between the external tank and orbiter during post-tanking inspections.
Managers will remove the pin overnight and plan another launch attempt
Wednesday at about 7:17 p.m.
The ice and debris inspection team noticed the pin during standard prelaunch
pad and vehicle walk down activities at Launch Pad 39A. The 8-ounce metal
pin has a handle that measures 3 inches long and a shaft that extends about
4 inches from the handle. A 10 to 12-inch tether is attached to the pin. The
pin is typically used to lock in ground support equipment or access
platforms at the pad. Because engineers determined the pin might impact the
Shuttle at liftoff or during ascent and possibly cause damage, managers
decided that the safest measure would be to remove the pin prior to launch.
The only way to retrieve the pin is by returning the Rotating Service
Structure (RSS) back around the vehicle.
The cryogenic propellants have been offloaded from Discovery’s external
tank, and at midnight tonight workers will move the RSS in place to retrieve
the pin. Workers expect to have the pin in hand by 2:30 a.m. tomorrow. The
RSS will be retracted away from Discovery at about 4 a.m. and external tank
loading operations are scheduled to commence at about 9:52 a.m.
Air Force weather forecasters indicate a 40 percent chance that weather
could violate Wednesday’s launch attempt. Forecasters expect lighter winds
that today and a chance of increased cloudiness. Only a slight chance of
rain exists within 20 nautical miles.
CREW FOR MISSION STS-92
Commander (CDR): Brian Duffy
Pilot (PLT): Pamela Melroy
Mission Specialist (MS1): Leroy Chiao
Mission Specialist (MS2): Bill McArthur
Mission Specialist (MS3): Jeff Wisoff
Mission Specialist (MS4): Michael Lopez-Alegria
Mission Specialist (MS5): Koichi Wakata
SUMMARY OF STS-92 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES
Wednesday, Oct. 11
6:42 a.m. Crew wake up
*2:17 p.m. Snack and photo
2:47 p.m. Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
2:47 p.m. Don flight suits (MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5)
*2:57 p.m. Don flight suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
*3:27 p.m. Depart for launch pad
*3:57 p.m. Arrive at white room and begin ingress
*5:12 p.m. Close crew hatch
*7:17 p.m. Launch
* Televised events (times may vary slightly)
All times Eastern
